Mop



J.' GLOVER Ma'y 25, 1937.

` Filed Aug. 18, 1954 J l I `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOP J ohn4 Glover, Chicago,

Ill., assigner to Midway Chemical Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Y Application August 18,

9 Claims.

. The present invention has to do with a spring Wire mop head. y

The objects of the invention, among others, include the provision of the following:

An improved cross head for a mop;

A unique cross. head and socket comprising a single continuous strand of wire;

A socket, cross head, and bail spring in the form of an integral member;

An improved bail spring including a socket member as an integral part thereof; and

A new and improved mop.

y These objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, are obtained by the novel construction, `unique combination, and improved arrangement of the several elements constituting the invention, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying single sheet of drawing hereby made a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a mop embodying one form ci the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an end view of the device illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Like reference characters are used to designate similar parts in the drawing and in the description of the invention which follows.

The figures may be read conjointly. The mop illustrated comprises a cross head of a single i strand of spring wire coiled about a mop stick.

A part of .such wire is loosely coiled as is shown in Figure l, and is designated I0., Below the section firmly for an appreciable length, the gripping section of convolutions being designated by the numeral II. At the end of the mop stick and beneath section I I, the convolutions rapidly and progressively -diminish in diameter producing.

a conical or coniiorm section, marked I2, and which vis relatively stiff.

The spring wire extends outwardly from the coniform section I2 and is turned tangentially of the socket. The extension comprises the outwardly extending section I3, and the tangential i section I4, which latter produces one-half of one side of the cross head of the mop. At the end of section I4, the strand of wire is bent into a U-shaped section I5 and then into a straight section I6 parallel to section I4, which extends to the opposite side of the cross head. At the end of section I6 there is a second U-shaped section I1. From the second U-section I1, the Wire I Il, the convolutions of wire are more tightlyl 1934, Serial No. 740,399

runs in a section I8 in alignment with section I4, the end sectiony I9 of the wire being turned inwardly and partly about one of the convolutions of small diameter in the coniform section I2. Section I9 should extend at least 180 degrees about the coniform part I2.

A cross head having parallel sides and U- shaped ends all in the same parallel plane is thus formed, the cross head being of spring wire but nevertheless sufficiently rigid for all practical purposes. The two U-shaped ends I5 and I1, provide tracks for a bail which has a cross bar 20, and two side members 2| normal thereto. The side members 2I terminate in oblique sections 22 having angular end extensions 23. Y

A lever 24 comprising a member having a generallyV half-round body substantially parallel with the mop stick 25 is disposed above the spring section I0. Two ears 26 project from the lever 24 and flare slightly. In each of the ears 25 is an aperture to receive the end extensions 23 of the bail. The material at one end of the lever 24 is turned over at 21 to provide a hinge about the first of the convolutions of section I0 of said spring wire member. The lever 24 thus is anchored for pivotal movement. The other end of the lever 24 flares outwardly to facilitate easy manipulation in the hands of the user.

As indicated previously, the side members 2l of the bail project through the U-shaped sections I5 and I1 of the cross head, the cross bar 20 of the bail serving as a stop member, as well as one of the gripping faces to hold thrums upon the cross head, the cross bar 20 comprising the other gripping face. In operation, the lever 24 is turned outwardly at one end from the handle- 25 of the mop to free the bail for movement longitudinally of the mop handle 25, thus separating the cross bar 20 and the cross head to receive thrums.

When thrums have been inserted, the lever 24 is moved back into place against the handle 25. Said lever snaps into position under tension of spring section I0- because the lever, as it is moved inwardly, passes a dead center. The resiliency of the loosely coiled convolutions I0 of the wire compensate for the bulk of thrums between the cross bar and the cross head and rmly hold the thrums therebetween as an incident to the lever 24 being snapped home.

In assembling the mop, the mop stick 25 is disposed in the section II of the socket with the bail in a free position. Thereafter, by snapping the lever as previously indicated, the mop is completely assembled. The mop comprises but four parts which makes for inexpensive manufacture and ready assembly.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mop having a stick, a bail, and a bail lever, a unitary member comprising a spring, a socket receiving the stick, and a crosshead, said lever being connected to the spring and to the bail.

2. In a mop having a stick, a bail and a bail lever, a cross head, a socket receiving the stick,

and a spring for the bail lever, all of a continu-l ous strand of spring wire.

3. In a mop having a stick, and a bail, a crosshead for the mop having a socket receiving the stick, said crosshead socket having an integral resilient portion out of normal contact with the stick and operatively associated with the bail and forming spring means to cause the bail to be urged towards the crosshead.

4. In a mop having a stick, a bail; and a bail lever, a crosshead for the mop having a socket receiving the stick, said socket being formed solely of Wire having tight convolutions adapted to grip the stick and loose convolutions connecting with thebail lever and forming a spring for the bail.

5. In a mop having a stick, a bail, and a bail lever, a continuous strand of spring Wire bent to form a crosshead, coiled tightly to grip the stick and form a socket for the crosshead and coiled loosely and connected to the bail lever to form a spring for the bail lever.

6. In a mop having a stick, a bail, and a bail lever, a continuous strand of spring wire bent to form a crosshead and having a portion forming convolutions substantially rapidly and progressively diminishing in diameter to provide a substantial coniform section of relatively stiif character rmly to grip the stick and having substantially loose convolutions, the end convolution thereof being attached to the lever to provide spring means for the lever.

7. In a mop having a stick, a bail, a crosshead and a lever, a combined socket for the crosshead receiving the stick and spring means for connection to the bail lever for urging the bail towards the crosshead consisting of wire convolutions tightly coiled to grip the stick and loosely coiled to form a compression spring, the tight convolutions at one portion progressively and rapidly diminishing in diameter to form a substantially rigid connection with the crosshead.

8. A mop having a stick, a bail, and a bail lever. a crosshead therefor comprising a continuous strand of Wire bent to form two substantially parallel spaced apart side members formed at their ends with integral re-entrant bends to receive the side portions of the bail, a socket connected to said crosshead, said socket receiving the stick.

9. A mop having a stick, a bail, and a bail lever and a combined crosshead and socket formed of wire, a portion of the wire being coiled tightly to grippingly engage the stick and a portion of the wire being bent laterally from the socket portion to provide two parallel, spaced apart Wire strands extending laterally across the socket, said Wire strands being interconnected at their ends by re-entrant portions to receive the side portions of the bail.

JOHN GLOVER. 

